Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques are generally useful for evaluating properties of a material without causing damage to the material. For example, NDE techniques are often used to detect overload strain, fatigue damage, and/or localized strain in structural components of airframes. In particular, NDE techniques including fiber optic strain sensing and resistance strain gages may be useful for mapping strain fields in such components. Other NDE techniques based on eddy currents and electromagnetic induction may also non-invasively detect real-time fatigue and/or failure without disturbing the airframe and/or component. Acoustic monitoring, another NDE technique, may also be useful for detecting acoustic emissions produced within a material under strain. Alternatively, giant magneto resistance sensors may be used to measure magnetic fields and magnetic properties of materials. Existing efforts to improve strain-detection focus on improvements in the aforementioned NDE techniques, rather than on the response of the material of the structural component.